OK. We know what the big news of the day is and I hate it but lets play GM. Do you see a team that has a need for draft picks (or maybe this is the time that you deal tate?)

For example: So you have a team like KC (in need of some fairly major parts to be added through the draft) and you have a stellar player on their roster who is aging (30 years old) is there any chance that if the worst comes to pass that we float the idea of a 2nd (or a 2nd this year and a 3rd next year) or something and try to get that guy from them? A first? A first in 2014? Tate plus a 2nd?

I think a big problem would be getting a veteran like that to fit in our cap at this point.

Yeah, that will be a problem but I'm sure there's a way to make it work somehow.

I wouldn't normally suggest it but I keep thinking about Tate. We know he's gone in two years. Even if you want to trade what you think the value for Tate would be at the end of the season (a Second?) and try to help a team in need of draft picks or a team like GB/Seattle that has a young player behind a LB that you like... and then move tate at the end of the year to reclaim recoup your draft pick...Just thinking about it. We have done a great job of acquiring quality depth at several positions and it seems like we might be able to cash one of those chips in. If this were just another starter I would say roll with it but this is one of the guys that makes it all go.

Yeah, that will be a problem but I'm sure there's a way to make it work somehow.

I wouldn't normally suggest it but I keep thinking about Tate. We know he's gone in two years. Even if you want to trade what you think the value for Tate would be at the end of the season (a Second?) and try to help a team in need of draft picks or a team like GB/Seattle that has a young player behind a LB that you like... and then move tate at the end of the year to reclaim recoup your draft pick...Just thinking about it. We have done a great job of acquiring quality depth at several positions and it seems like we might be able to cash one of those chips in. If this were just another starter I would say roll with it but this is one of the guys that makes it all go.

Mike

We got a starting LB in James for nothing, shouldn't take much to get one to play next to him.

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I want to be able to recognize the difference between a "want" and a "need" and then I want to be satisfied with getting a need

Edit Patrick Willis' position to QB, then trade him for a 7th round pick, cut him, then resign him to vet minimum, and edit his position back to ILB.

It works in Madden.

In all seriousness, I just don't see our FO making a big splash to cover one injury, I see the same thing I've seen in other moves we've made, we have a mix of vets who understand the position and guys we've drafted years ago and groomed into what we want. I think they'll try and find value off the street to make up the numbers, and they'll have already done their homework on who fits and who doesn't, and they'll move from there.

I like Dobbins, I think Sharpton has done alright covering for Meco and has a year and a half in Wade's system if he's fit enough to go. Alexander wouldn't still be around if they weren't confident he had something about him either.

Looking forward to getting Braman back too, I know he's an outside guy, but he gives us options to move some guys around situationally.

We also play 3 Safeties pretty well and can incorporate even more of that instead of the 3-4/5-2 going 3-3 with the extra Safety in the box which actually offers a lot more flexibility in terms of the looks we're throwing teams pre-snap.

Whilst I'm not claiming it isn't a massive loss, I think Wade has the guys behind extremely well prepared and I'm sure the playbook is pretty fluid to take advantage of the skill-sets of different personnel.

When DeMeco went down we had a massive problem because our DC tried to make the personnel fit the playbook, under Wade, I feel the playbook changes to fit the personnel, its a huge difference.

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Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
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We will remember them.

I'm going to go back and look but I wonder if any team that took a LB in Tate's class has guys stuck behind a starter (kind of like tate). That would be ideal as we would be close enough on salary to make it work.

The trade deadline has been pushed back until after week 8 of the regular season so that does give the Texans some leeway in terms of looking for a player to trade for if they are so inclined, but that is unlikely to happen. For one, a team would have to be okay with giving up a starter or even depth (more likely a backup) from their starting roster and most teams won’t be too excited about that.

Secondly, you are a buyer and this will be a seller’s market so the Texans would have to give up more than they would like for what might only be a band-aid. Lastly, if a team traded a player, that player would need to be near the end of their contract so the trading team doesn’t incur much of a cap hit when they trade that player.

With all of that said, I’ve decided to dig down deep and find some potential players whom the Texans could target for trade if they were so inclined.

1. Tavares Gooden, ILB, 49′ers - Gooden is a terrific athlete, but he plays behind Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman so he won’t be starting anytime soon unless there is an injury. The 49′ers signed Gooden to a 1 year deal last year. I don’t know if the 49′ers would even consider moving Gooden since they are one of the best teams in the league, but if the Texans offered a 3rd rounder for their backup LB, they might have to take that deal. Gooden could also become a full-time starter next to Cushing in the future.

2. Brandon Siler, ILB, Chiefs - Siler is playing a backup ILB role with the Chiefs right now and was signed to a one year deal this past offseason. Siler spent 4 seasons with the Chargers, but only started 12 games. Siler probably isn’t good enough to make it into the starting lineup for the Texans, but he does have experience as an inside backer in the 3-4 and would provide decent depth at the position. I can’t imagine the trade price tag would be very high on a backup LB in the last year of his deal on a bad team.

3. Jonathan Vilma, ILB, Saints – Vilma isn’t the player he once was… not even close, but the Saints might be willing to move him for a very modest draft pick now that they’ve signed Curtis Lofton and have him playing in the middle. Vilma is undersized and is trying to recover from knee surgeries so I can’t imagine the Texans would be too worked up over landing him.

this may sound pretty ignorant, but are there any young players out there worth a first round (or multiple picks) that their teams might accept the offer? the 49'ers have been mentioned for their backup - what about bowman? would they be willing to part with him since they have someone else already able to step in?

the draft being such a crap shoot i've never really had a problem trading picks for players. we're at a point now that we're barely even playing our picks, it seems to me that it would be wise to try and make the most of our current opportunity.

this may sound pretty ignorant, but are there any young players out there worth a first round (or multiple picks) that their teams might accept the offer? the 49'ers have been mentioned for their backup - what about bowman? would they be willing to part with him since they have someone else already able to step in?

the draft being such a crap shoot i've never really had a problem trading picks for players. we're at a point now that we're barely even playing our picks, it seems to me that it would be wise to try and make the most of our current opportunity.

You would have to find a bad team, like Carolina and Jon Beason or Dan Connor in Dallas....not sure either is worth a 1st, but find a starter on a bad team or a quality backup on a team who has other needs.....

You would have to find a bad team, like Carolina and Jon Beason or Dan Connor in Dallas....not sure either is worth a 1st, but find a starter on a bad team or a quality backup on a team who has other needs.....

beason was actually my first thought, but i wrote it off since carolina needed him. i completely forgot about kuechly though, who's being discussed as taking the MLB spot away from beason. in that scenario, similar to 49ers having someone ready to come in, the panthers fit almost all the criteria of a potential trade partner. the only hurdle would be his contract, he signed a big one in 2011.

You would have to find a bad team, like Carolina and Jon Beason or Dan Connor in Dallas....not sure either is worth a 1st, but find a starter on a bad team or a quality backup on a team who has other needs.....

Not saying I would do this trade,

But Brooks for Dan Connor seems like a trade that could be made. Not sure about the $$$$.

But Brooks for Dan Connor seems like a trade that could be made. Not sure about the $$$$.

why the hell would we give up another starter to gain one? then we would have a hole at olb, lets not anoint Mercilus as good as Reed quite yet. He has barely seen live action thus far. We need an ILB without losing another starter on defense. And we do this by trading draft picks.